Requests are now just a text away at many hotels

At many hotels across the nation, guests can now text message with any requests or complaints. Chats such as these can now go on on people's Smartphones.(Photo: Courtesy of Go Moment)

Hotels are increasingly finding that the best way to talk to their hotel guests is to not actually talk to them—but to text with them.

Guests can now request amenities and alert hotels to problems via text at a number of hotels throughout the country, from big cities like New York and smaller towns like Bend, Ore.

Branded hotels such as Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach and independent hotels such as Z Ocean South Beach are increasingly communicating with guests in this manner. Texting is of particular appeal to technology-embracing business travelers.

“Some people, especially in today’s age, prefer to text rather than have face-to-face communication,” says Rick Takach, CEO of Vesta Hospitality, a hotel ownership group. “It is a convenience for the guest. Many times guests do not want to get on the phone, or have a hassle with talking to people, so they send a text.”

Hotels such as the W Boston, Hotel Indigo Nashville, Oceana Beach Club Santa Monica, and Great Wolf Resort are embracing this communication method.

A number of companies, such as Zingle and Checkmate, are helping them leverage the technology. Vesta uses a system from Go Moment at its recently renovated Riverhouse on the Deschutes in Bend, Ore.

After check-in at the Riverhouse, the system automatically texts guests with a message welcoming them to the hotel and telling them they can make any request via the service. After their stay, it asks guests to rate their experience from 1 to 5. Staff can then use the feedback to improve the stays of future guests.

Takach says the hotel quickly responds to requests such as chocolate-covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne delivered to the room. Or they can nip a problem before it escalates.

Gurkirat Singh, general manager at W Boston, says his property focuses heavily on serving the mid-week business traveler. He constantly looks for ways to wow tech-savvy customers.

“One thing we noticed is guests are interacting with us less and less now that they can check in online and use their Smartphone as a room key,” he says. “We wanted to make sure we wouldn’t lose valuable personal connections with guests while they were here.”

Singh says guests are more likely to be honest with the hotel’s staff via text than in person. Problems that might have gone unnoticed are now more likely to come to the surface while the guest is still on property, he says, resulting in fewer negative reviews on such sites as TripAdvisor.

“This system gives us the ability to rectify any issues then and there, rather than responding after the fact on TripAdvisor where it is harder to recover,” he says. “Nine of 10 times, people do not want to be disturbed, but they also want to tell us what they want and have it handled immediately. Texting allows us to do that.”

And that makes for more loyal customers, he says.

Guests live on their phones, so it’s a natural way for them to interact, Singh says. And the hotel learns more about the guest, so the next time he or she stays there, staff can customize the stay with a favorite beverage, for instance.

Concierges also say texting is helping them better serve their guests.

Noah Lemaich is chief concierge at Sixty Hotels on the lower east side of Manhattan, which uses a system called Alice.

“Texting is something all people are used to, so it is not only convenient for them but allows us to convey information in an easier way,” Lemaich says. “For concierge services, it is more efficient to use texting rather than give them a piece of paper with a dinner reservation or directions, for example. We can text someone an address, they click it, and off they go.”